EUC Research and publications

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10315/6201

This collection consists of research and scholarship produced by faculty members and graduate students affiliated with the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (FEUC). It may also contain scholarship from faculty members and graduate students previously affiliated with the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) during the period of 1968 to 2020.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 71

Open Access
The Ecological Economics of Sustainability: Making Local and Short-Term Goals Consistent with Global and Long-Term Goals
(The World Bank, 1990-06) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie); Haskell, B.; Cornwell, L.; Daly, H.; Johnson, T.
There is increasing awareness that our global ecological We support system is endangered Decisions made on the basis of local, short-term criteria can produce disastrous results globally and in the long run. There is also increasing awareness that traditional economic and ecological models and concepts fall short in their ability to deal with these problems. The International Society for Ecological Economics is concerned with extending and integrating the study and management of "nature's household" (ecology) and "humankind's household" (economics). Ecological Economics studies the ecology of humans and the economy of nature, the web of interconnections uniting the economic subsystem to the global ecosystem of which it is a part. It is this larger system that must be the object of study if we are to adequately address the critical issues that now face humanity.
Open Access
NAFTA and the Future of Environmental Regulation
(Centre for Constitutional Studies, University of Alberta, 1994) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Open Access
An overview of international institutional mechanisms for environmental management with reference to Arctic pollution
(Elsevier, 1995) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Evidence is mounting of the environmental impact in the Far North of economic and industrial activity elsewhere in the world. While the sources of pollutants found in the Arctic are many and widespread, it is up to just a few countries - notably Canada,t he former Soviet Union, Finland, Norway and Greenland - to assestsh e damagea nd deal with the impacts.T his paper discussetsh e issueo f Arctic pollution in the context of trends in world economic growth, globalization of economic activity, international trade and related institutional arrangements (such as trade and environmental agreements)T. he importance of tracing the sourceso f particular contaminantsi s stressedt;h is is a first step towards internalization of environmental costs of production, and is also politically a key in efforts to control emissionsT. rade and investmenta greementsc ommonlyd iscussru les for cross-borderf lowso f goods,s services, personnel and investment capital, as well as matters specific to particular economic sectors. Cross-border flows of pollutants and other ‘bads’ also merit detailed sectoral attention. This linkage would make explicit the connections between production and pollution (making possible the ‘polluter pays’ approach), and also widen the scope for redistribution of economicr esourcest o equilibrate the situation (via trade and investmentm easuresa, mongo others) if flows of goods are related directly to flows of ‘bads’. The paper examinest he outlook for addressing Arctic pollution via international environmental agreements (along the lines of the Base1 Convention, the Montreal Protocol, CITES, etc.), existing and future trade agreements( such as GATT), or new institutional approaches.
Open Access
An overview of international institutional mechanisms for environmental management with refererence to Arctic pollution
(The Science of the Total Environment, 1995) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Evidence is mounting of the environmental impact in the Far North of economic and industrial activity elsewhere in the world. While the sources of pollutants found in the Arctic are many and widespread, it is up to just a few countries - notably Canada,the former Soviet Union, Finland, Norway and Greenland - to assess the damage and deal with the impacts. This paper discusses the issue of Arctic pollution in the context of trends in world economic growth, globalization of economic activity, international trade and related institutional arrangements (such as trade and environmental agreements)T. he importance of tracing the sources of particular contaminants is stressed this is a first step towards internalization of environmental costs of production, and is also politically a key in efforts to control emissions. Trade and investment agreements commonly discuss rules for cross-border flows of goods, services, personnel and investment capital, as well as matters specific to particular economic sectors. Cross-border flows of pollutants and other ‘bads’ also merit detailed sectoral attention. This linkage would make explicit the connections between production and pollution (making possible the ‘polluter pays’ approach), and also widen the scope for redistribution of economic resources to equilibrate the situation (via trade and investment measures among others) if flows of goods are related directly to flows of ‘bads’. The paper examines the outlook for addressing Arctic pollution via international environmental agreements (along the lines of the Base1 Convention, the Montreal Protocol, CITES, etc.), existing and future trade agreements( such as GATT), or new institutional approaches.
Open Access
Social diversity and the sustainability of community economies
(The Bootstrap Press, 1997) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Economic restructuring related to globalization is producing a bifurcation in economic activity throughout the OECD countries: a split between those workers/industries/areas which are competitive in the global market, and those which are being phased out. Partly in response, community economies -- which use local resources and labour to produce locally-needed goods and services -- are growing rapidly in some parts of North America and Europe. This paper discusses the relationship between these two macro trends, describing some typical institutions and characteristics of community economies and the requisites for their sustainability. The implications of this development in terms of the environmental impacts of economic change, meaning and value of social diversity, gender issues and educational needs, receive particular focus.
Open Access
Introduction: Women, ecology, and economics: new models and theories
(Elsevier, 1997) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Open Access
Trade, transition paths, and sustainable economies
(Routledge, 1999) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
The main criticisms of trade from a sustainability viewpoint are that it accelerates resource depletion and pollution, harms income distribution both locally and internationally, and undermines democratic institutions. After considering the relationship between trade and "sustainability," this paper discusses a number of feedback mechanisms which promote the kind of trade that is more sustainable - for the South as well as the North. The role of technological change, a model of the relationship between production and "sustaining services," data needs and research priorities are also discussed.
Open Access
Local Economies, Trade, and Global Sustainability
(Woodhead Publishing, 1999) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Bioregional and "ecological economics" theory describes the growth of local economic linkages as vital to move post-industrial economies in the direction of sustainability. This involves expanding local stewardship over environmental and economic resources, so that progressively more production for local needs can be done within the community. Far from existing solely in the realm of theory, this is a pattern which is becoming more and more familiar in many parts of North America and Europe. The blossoming initiatives to create local, community-centred economies can be understood in light of the long history of environmental challenges faced by people living in the industrialized North, and the double economic blows of recession and trade liberalization/globalization exemplified by the passage of GATT and NAFTA and the development of the EC in the 1990s.This paper discusses the dynamic relationship between globalization and local economic development in the North from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. It provides examples from Toronto, Canada of the synergy among environmental awareness, community organizing and "alternative" employment creation (e.g. in environmental remediation and energy conservation activities) which can accompany recession or trade-induced worker layoffs. The resulting local economic patterns tend to be "greener" and more socially sustainable than the globally-tied economic linkages they replace.
Open Access
EQUITY, ECONOMIC SCALE, AND THE ROLE OF EXCHANGE IN A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY
(1999-05) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
This paper explores these theoretical and practical issues, considering the question of the environmental and ecological impacts of economic activity from the viewpoint of the scale at which this activity takes place and the exchanges across time and space which affect its sustainability. Following a consideration of the dynamics of economic change in the next section, the paper discusses the meaning of trade/exchange, economic scale, and political/ecological/economic boundaries before returning in the final section to the two equity-related issues outlined above.
Open Access
Feminist Understanding of Productivity
(Inanna Publications and Education, 2002) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
The concept of productivity, meaning output per unit of input, is at once general and specific. Economists have used productivity as a very specific measure, denominated in dollars, which shows the output of a produced or consumed good per unit of labour or capital used in the production process. However, productivity can also be understood more broadly as a fundamental human value which denotes optimal use of the natural environment for individual, social and cultural benefit. This involves questioning, testing and replacing many of the static assumptions of the neoclassical economics paradigm: What are the significant inputs and outputs? Can their cost or value be measured in dollars? What additional, related outputs and inputs are silent, "external", or ignored in the production and consumption process? How do improvements in productivity take place, and how can they be measured and fostered? Feminist economists critique the exclusion of many important aspects of production and reproduction from most economic equations; the discussion on alternative ways of valuing inputs and inclusionary approaches to the question of productivity is well advanced in feminist debates. Building on recent research in ecological economics, feminist economics, community economic development, political ecology, and social/cultural studies, this paper explores and articulates several alternative conceptualizations of productivity. The paper's intent is to re-examine the capitalist concept of "productivity" which Maria Mies calls "the most formidable hurdle in our struggle to come to an understanding of women's labour" (Mies, Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale, p. 48).
Open Access
Diversity, local economies, and globalization’s limits
(Inanna Publication, 2002) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Open Access
Public Participation and Ecological Valuation: Inclusive=Radical
(2005) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
This paper discusses the gender and class implications of “public participation” processes, which are increasingly used in Europe, North America, and elsewhere as a basic component of environmental and public policy decision-making. While they are grounded in strong political and ecological rationales, public participation processes can potentially exacerbate gender, ethnic, class, and other inequities. The paper focuses on the complexities of conceptualizing and designing public participation processes which are gender- and diversity-sensitive and take into account the different kinds of relationships with the environment held by different members of society. The more inclusive and diversity-sensitive these processes are, the more radical their implications.
Open Access
Introduction: Exploring feminist ecological economics
(Feminist Economics, 2005-11) Kuiper, E.; Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
These Explorations argue that more links between the fields of feminist ecology and feminist economics are both needed and promising, and presents new, boundary-crossing research in this area. It brings together contributions from various regions in the world that link political action and experience in practice and research in an economic theorizing that includes both environmental and feminist concerns.
Open Access
Participation and Watershed Management: Experiences from Brazil
(University Press, 2007) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Public participation is emphasized in many new institutional approaches to resource management, especially watershed governance. The implementation of participatory management frameworks, and capacity-building for civil society participants, deserve close attention. This paper reports on an ongoing project in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, which is designed to strengthen the ability of local and NGO representatives to participate in democratic water management structures.
Open Access
Feminist Ecological Economics and Sustainability
(Journal of Bioeconomics, 2007) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
New developments in feminist ecological economics and ecofeminist economics are contributing to the search for theories and policy approaches to move economies toward sustainability. This paper summa- rizes work by ecofeminists and feminist ecological economists which is relevant to the sustainability challenge and its implications for the discipline of economics. Both democracy and lower material throughputs are generally seen as basic principles of economic sustainability. Feminist theorists and feminist ecological econ- omists offer many important insights into the conundrum of how to make a democratic and equity-enhancing transition to an economy based on less material throughput. These flow from feminist research on unpaid work and caring labor, provisioning, development, valuation, social reproduction, non-monetized exchange relationships, local economies, redistribution, citizenship, equity-enhancing political institutions, and labor time, as well as creative modeling approaches and activism-based theorizing.
Open Access
Port City Relations: Global Spaces of Urban Waterfront Development
(2007) Desfor, Gene
Urban waterfronts have become key sites where global restructuring processes and local interests are engaged in complex struggles that are influencing the future of cities. The author discusses three issues related to these struggles. First, new waterfront spaces are emerging from a convergence of economic restructuring, globalization and technological changes. Second, port security has become an increasingly important factor in waterfront developments and port-city relations. And third, urban waterfront developments are part of the construction of socio-nature. Following a discussion of these issues, the author suggests that new policies are needed for waterfront development.
Open Access
Women, Equity and Participatory Water Management in Brazil
(International Feminist Journal of Politics, 2007-12) Moraes, A.; Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)
Public participation in resource management is regarded as a central pillar of sustain- able development. Water management is a foremost example, and women globally are prime users and protectors of water. Yet the effectiveness of participatory water man- agement practices is seldom examined from a feminist perspective. This article estab- lishes a methodological framework for such an inquiry, drawing on ecofeminist theory and the Brazilian concept of ‘feminist transformative leadership’ to consider gender, race and class aspects of participatory water management in Brazil.
Open Access
Urban Expansion and Industrial Nature: A Political Ecology of Toronto's Port Industrial District
(Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2008) Desfor, Gene; Vesalon, Lucian
This article analyses political and economic practices involved with the production of an industrial form of socio-nature - the Port Industrial District - during the early decades of the twentieth century in Toronto, Canada. Informed by historical documents from that period, as well as using contemporary concepts from urban theory, we analyse the creation of a major land mass and southern extension of Toronto within a political ecology framework. We explicitly link the concept of socio-nature with the dynamics suggested by theories of capital and spatial expansion, thereby bringing 'nature' into a more central position in understanding urban development processes. The Toronto Harbour Commissioners, the central organization in this land-creation process, reflected, we argue, more the ideological preferences and economic interests of local elites than an efficient institutional design for solving a multi-dimensional 'waterfront problem '. The harbour commission and its supporters envisioned and promoted the new industrial district, the pivotal section of its 1912 waterfront development plan, as a general strategy for intensifying industrialization and growth of the city. The massive infrastructure project is best understood as a spatio-temporal fix to productively absorb capital through spatial expansion and temporal deferment. A new institutional arrangement consolidated political and economic relations through practices that made possible the production of a new form of socio-nature and reshaped the eastern section of Toronto's central waterfront as an industrial landscape.
Open Access
UnderCurrents
(Faculty of Environmental Studies, 2008) Erickson, Bruce; Orzechowski, Karol
UnderCurrents is an independent non-profit journal of critical environmental studies produced by students, faculty and staff in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University. Since 1988, with a brief hiatus from 2009 to 2012, we have been publishing creative and critical writing and artwork that explores the relationships between nature, society, and self. We openly and explicitly provide space for discussions of 'environment' which challenge the conventional boundaries and assumptions of academic and environmental discussion. UnderCurrents is produced annually by an editorial collective, which maintains non-hierarchical principles and a collaborative publishing process.
Open Access
Feminist Ecological Economics
(UNESCO and EOLSS Publishers, 2008) Perkins, Patricia E. (Ellie)